UPDATE: Tips from public lead to arrest of 4 in burglary of Vietnam vet’s home

The LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office has announced that four people have been arrested for their role in burglarizing and vandalizing the home of a 72-year-old Vietnam veteran on July 18, 2018. The house is located on the Kingsbury Industrial Park grounds. The suspects have been identified as 19-year-old Ethan Binversie of LaPorte, 19-year-old Bailey Gervais of LaPorte, and 22-year-old Tyler Jaeger of Michigan City. They are being held in the LaPorte County Jail, all with a $20,000 bond. A 16-year-old juvenile has also been arrested and he is being held in the LaPorte County Juvenile Services Center.

Gervais

The three adults are being charged with the following offenses in LaPorte County Circuit Court:

During the crime, guns and prescription medication was stolen and the property was heavily vandalized, with vehicle windows being shattered, one vehicle being flipped over, and a large amount of scrap metal stolen.

“For the second consecutive week, a serious and very high profile case was resolved with the assistance from the public,” LaPorte County Sheriff John Boyd said. “Surveillance video was quickly located from a nearby business during the initial stages of the investigation that captured the images of potential suspects and their vehicles and when a plea was made to the public for assistance in resolving this crime, tips began to come in.

“The trust and partnership that the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office has with the public was instrumental in the quick resolution of this case as the public was not at all reluctant to provide tips. We cannot thank the pubic enough for their trust, support and involvement. The role of lead investigator James Lear, Captain Patrick Cicero and Detective Aaron Banic, who all collected evidence, followed up on all leads in such a timely manner, performed area canvasses, conducted interviews, and charged the suspects, was also pivotal in cracking this case. We are very proud of their diligence and attention to detail.”

I think the first photo looks a lot like the oldest of those arrested. But remember,,,you aren’t seeing a fill photo, either. Just head and shoulders. Arms, especially with tattoos, make identification much easier, but you don’t see that on a mug shot.